A WOMAN who said she had to wait an hour in the freezing cold for a private hire taxi has raised concerns about the safety of other women on nights out in York.

Sharon Marshall, 34, had ordered two cars from Ace Taxis to collect her and friend Adele Peacock, 33, from Station Rise and take them to opposite sides of York after a Christmas night out.

The taxis were booked for 1.30am but their drivers did not arrive until 2.30am, despite repeated phone calls to the firm and assurances that they were close by.

Sharon, of Fossway, said: "I rang up and booked the taxis at 4pm, thinking that it was the safest way to get home. But I think it should be highlighted that girls could be left waiting.

"It's a bit disturbing. If it had been me by myself, or my friend, I would have been frightened.

"We just huddled together and waited. I was going mad. We were getting a lot of hassle from passers-by. It ruined our night."

Sharon said they ended up taking refuge in a nearby Indian takeaway and phoned the taxi firm to send the cars there.

Digby Thornton, manager of Ace Taxis, said it was rare that anyone would be kept waiting for an hour and delays usually happened because people were not there when the driver arrived and had to be sent back.

"A taxi is just like a train or a bus, and people need to be where they say on time," he said.

"When people have been drinking they often forget the time. It is a very busy time of year."

Mark Wilson, of Streamline Taxis and the steering group of the fledgling York Private Hire Association, said there were a number of ways in which women could ensure they stayed safe when ordering a minicab.

"If customers mention it when booking, priority will usually be given to women passengers. But people often forget to say anything," he said.

"The main thing is to think about where you book to be collected from - don't wait somewhere isolated and stay in a group if possible."

Updated: 08:54 Wednesday, January 05, 2005